Following are two letters sent July 22 from San Francisco Unified District Superintendent Waldemar Rojas concerning bilingual education in City schools.

Dear Parents and Members of the San Francisco Community:

Many people have expressed questions and concerns regarding what will happen to bilingual education in the San Francisco schools under Proposition 227. I would like to take this opportunity to explain how the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is able to comply with Proposition 227 and still offer high quality bilingual education programs.

The SFUSD is in a unique position because it is under a Federal Court Order, known as the Lau Consent Decree. This requires our District to provide limited English-speaking children with the programs it currently offers so that they will have equal access to the core instructional program (math, social studies and science) while they are learning English.

It is important for you to know that our decision to continue our bilingual programs is not an act of defiance. To do less would be in violation of the Lau Consent Decree, which in addition to Proposition 227, must be followed. Consequently, the District will continue to offer a variety of programs for its English Language Learners as well as the "structured English immersion" model required under Proposition 227. No student will be placed in bilingual education or any other program if it is not desired by the parents.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please direct them to Dr. Rosita Apodaca, Assistant Superintendent in charge of SFUSD's Language Academy and Other Bilingual Programs at 300 Seneca Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112. Any urgent situation may be addressed by phone: (415) 469-4000, or fax: (415) 239-1837 or e-mail: rapodac@muse.sfusd.k12.ca.us.

I hope this clears up any questions you may have had. Please be assured that the SFUSD is committed to providing all of its students with well-trained teachers in a safe and positive learning environment so that each student may succeed in school.

Sincerely,
Waldemar Rojas
Superintendent of Schools

To: SFUSD Teachers, Staff and Other Interested Stakeholders:

The Board of Education and I want to explain how the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) will provide the language programs the District currently offers and their future status in light of the passing of Proposition 227, SFUSD is legally required by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California to implement a master plan for bilingual-bicultural education. This court order, known as a consent decree because the parties agree to its terms, was entered by the Court on May 30, 1976 for the language minority students of the SFUSD. The U.S. District Court Consent Decree in the Lau case requires the SFUSD to be in compliance with its order.

The Lau Consent Decree was an outcome of the United States Supreme Court case known as Lau v. Nichols which SFUSD lost 24 years ago. The San Francisco District was sued for its failure to provide special programs to help Chinese students, who were of limited English-speaking ability, learn English and for its failure to provide equal access for these students to the school district's core instructional program.

It is important for you to know that our decision to continue our bilingual programs is not a defiant act against Proposition 227. Because SFUSD is required to comply with the Consent Decree, it also has the latitude to provide students with equal access to core instruction through existing programs. SFUSD's policy pledged to the Court in 1975 is as applicable today as it was then.

As the student is dependent upon language for the acquisition of knowledge and skills in content ares such as the social sciences, mathematics, and the natural sciences, instruction should be provided in these areas in the student's native language until he is able to function in an English oriented setting. The student must also be offered an opportunity for a continuing development of his first language and culture at all grade levels.

Consequently, the District will continue to offer the selection of programs that currently respond to its English Language Learners as well as adding the option of "structured English immersion" model required by Proposition 227. SFUSD will continue to offer the following programs to those desirous of them:

1. Dual Language Enrichment: K-12: a bilingual program with gradual movement to all English instruction. An enrichment class of primary language may be continued after transition to all English program. This program is available in Cantonese/English, Spanish/English, and Filipino/English.

2. Two Way K-12: a bilingual program where English Language Learners and fully English proficient students learn English and another language. This program is available in Cantonese/English, Spanish/English, and Korean/English.

3. Total Immersion K-5: a bilingual program where English proficient students learn in English and another language. This program is available only at Alice Fong Yu in Cantonese/Mandarin/English.

4. Intensive English K-12: an all English program that utilizes ESL and SDAIE methodologies to provide instruction in English and content areas such as science, math, and social studies. This program provides students with a gradual movement to the general English curriculum. Classrooms may have a teacher assistant that can provide directions in the language of the students.

As a result of Proposition 227, Title 5 California Code of Regulation, Division 1, Chapter 11, English Language Education for Immigrant Children requires that all school districts in California offer structured English immersion, a 180-day program that is overwhelmingly in English. English Language Learners are provided with a structured approach in a sheltered setting in order to acquire "a good working knowledge of English" prior to moving to an English language mainstream classroom. A student who has not achieved a reasonable level of English proficiency as measured by any of the state designated assessments approved by the California Department of Education, or any locally developed assessments, may be reenrolled in this program only with parent permission. Clearly, the Proposition 227 program is an emerging design that we will carefully implement and monitor.

We want to assure our parents and teachers that we are complying with our Consent Decree as well as with Proposition 227. No student will de denied the option of structured English immersion and no student will be placed in Bilingual Education or any other program when it is not desired by the parents.

As it is the option of our attorneys that we must comply with all laws, including Proposition 227, and the Lau Consent Decree, we will be working closely with them to resolve any issues that might arise during implementation.

Please send your questions and concerns to the Language Academy and Other Bilingual Programs. Dr. Rosita Apodaca, Assistant Superintendent in charge of all language programs, will be pleased to respond to your inquiries via e-mail, fax, or letter. Fax Hotline: (415) 239-1837; E-Mail: rapodac@muse.sfusd.k12.ca.us; Address: 300 Senaca Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112.

Any urgent and important situations may also be addressed by phone at (415) 469-4000 or in person.

We ask our teachers to provide a quality education that is comprehensible to our English Language Learners. The academic achievement of the graduates from bilingual education is quite promising. They are scoring at or above grade level in mathematics and reading. While, English Language Learners in our programs are making significant gains, we want to improve our record by ensuring that these students achieve at their maximum potential. Our students can do it because our teachers pledge to educate well with appropriate responses aligned with the desires of our parents.

We ask for your continued support and cooperation. Do not hesitate to contact us with your concerns.

Sincerely,
Waldemar Rojas, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools 

Opinions Sought in Assistance Program for Low Income Residents

Following is a letter sent July 28, 1998 to Representative Nancy Pelosi concerning a program to assist mothers with an in-house job search.

To: Nancy Pelosi

My name is Joann Sereal and I have E-mailed, faxed and written to many staff members in the housing authority office with no avail. I never received an answer from anyone and I am well aware that my E-mails and my faxes were successfully sent. So I have been wondering what happened to all that paper I sent to them.

Well, maybe I should tell what I am trying to offer in the form of services to mothers that cannot afford child care  and really just don't know what they're good at. I have been interested in assisting the housing project tenants (those who want it). I am aware that there are programs out there, but how does the information get to the tenants and what efforts are taken getting this information out? I have been told that there are a lot of places that will employ low income residents. But most of our low income housing residents don't possess a high school diploma or a GED, so that's where I would like to start with the tenants.

My idea is to assist the mother in working towards getting a GED, resume assistance, job training and maybe become a liaison between some of the temporary agencies. So I am writing you because I have need of another opinion about my program.
Thank you for your time,

Mrs. Joann Sereal

Funding Not Spent in Right Places

To the Editor:

So they finally found out the money was not helping the right people. It shouldn't have taken this long for this matter to surface. How is it that records were not kept on the spending of this money? I am sure a lot of questions will be asked of all the staff in the Housing Department.

I myself am glad some investigating is being done to see how the money is spent. The money is supposed to help one thing and ends up being used for something entirely different which does not aid the tenants at all, especially since it is and was obvious the tenants were not pleased with the security they received.

I applaud the investigation team!

Joann Sereal

Housing Tenants Should be Informed

While going through the web site, I came across the Welfare-to-Work program and I was astouded to see that this program has been in existence since 1968. I would like to know why we have more unemployed single mothers now if this program was in effect back in 1968?

I continued to look and came up with a lot of information that I feel the tenants of low income housing projects do not know about. I have talked to many Sunnydale residents and they never heard of this program. Information is not made ready for the tenants of the many housing projects.

Also, I have seen what money can do when it is not handled properly. Trying to fight the system is a hard job to do alone but I will continue with my ideas for the tenants who reside in the Housing units. If you would like me to explain it more, contact me through E-mail at: mustang195@juno.com

Thank you very much for your time,
Joann Sereal